1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an end face polishing apparatus for polishing end faces of rod-shaped members of optical communication fibers and the like.
2. Description of the Related Art
An optical communication fiber is used after it has been adhered and fixed to a center hole of a ferrule which is a main member of a connector, and then an end face of the ferrule and an end face of a fiber are simultaneously smoothly polished to become a mirror surface. If the polished surfaces of the ferrule and the fiber thus polished are not vertical to a center axis of the ferrule, or the polished surfaces have damages, the optical connector having ferrules oppositely connected with each other is deteriorated in accuracy at the opposite position, resulting in an increase in loss. Therefore, the polished surface of a ferrule including an optical fiber requires finishing of the polished surface with high accuracy.
As a conventional optical fiber end face polishing apparatus, for example, there is one disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. Hei 3-26456. The optical fiber end face polishing apparatus disclosed in this publication has an eccentric plate which rotates on a concentric circle of a self-rotation disc, and has a planetary gear which transmits rotation of a motor for revolution to this eccentric plate, and these are combined with a polishing plate to cause the polishing plate to self-rotate and revolve. The plurality of the end-faces of the ferrule held by a jig plate are pressed to the polishing member fixed to the polishing plate and polished.
As described above, the conventional optical fiber end-face polishing apparatus conducts polishing by pressing the end faces of a plurality of ferrules with spring and the like held by the jig plate to the polishing member fixed to the rotating and revolving polishing plate. However, polishing of the rod-shaped member is adjusted by time, so that the polishing length of the rod-shaped member cannot be adjusted. Further, there is no problem if the lengths of the ferrules mounted on the jig plate are all the same, but from reasons that adhesives for fixing the ferrule accuracy and optical fiber flow out from the tip end of the ferrule and harden, the lengths of the respective ferrules differ. Therefore, if the ferrules differing in lengths are made to slidably contact the polishing plate, the jig plate tilts to the polishing plate, thereby causing variation in polishing angle, radius of curvature and eccentricity. Further, there is a problem that variation inferrule lengths occur after polishing.
The object of the present invention in view of the above, is to provide an end face polishing apparatus improved in polishing accuracy regardless of the length of the ferrule when polishing the end faces of the ferrule.
To solve the above objects, according to a first aspect of the present invention, an end face polishing apparatus in which a rod-shaped member mounted on a jig plate by a polishing member mounted on the polishing plate which is rotatably and swingably supported to the apparatus body is pressed to be polished is characterized in that, the jig plate is provided on either the jig plate or the polishing plate, and the other is slidably contacted by a slidable contact member, and is supported in a state where rotation is regulated on the polishing plate.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, in a first aspect of the invention, an end face polishing apparatus is characterized in that the length in the axial direction of the rod-shaped member protruding from the lower end face of the jig plate is longer than the height of the slidable contact member.
According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the first or second aspect, an end face polishing apparatus is characterized in that the jig plate is held by biasing in the polishing plate direction by the support mechanism where the jig plate is provided on the apparatus body.
According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in any one of the first to third aspects, an end face polishing apparatus is characterized in that the jig plate comprises an adjusting mechanism for adjusting the height of the polishing member.
In the end face polishing apparatus of the present invention, by providing a slidable contact portion on either the jig plate or the polishing plate to slidably contact the other with a low friction, the jig plate can be maintained horizontal to the polishing plate, thereby improving the polishing accuracy of the rod-shaped member. Further, the length of the rod-shaped members may be made uniform.